Toy telephone



J. RENTSCHER.

TOY TELEPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 6. 1922.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

Rn N1 n e W5 A w Hi5 F/TTURNEX JOSEPH RENTSCHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TO'! TELEPHONE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

Application filed March 6, 1922. Serial No. 541,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH RENTSCHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toy Telephones, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a toy apparatus, and refers particularly to what may be termed a dummy telephone, that is to say a toy capable of performing the mechanical functions of a telephone but in which all electrical features are eliminated.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive toy telephone resembling in appearance the structure of standard equipment. A further object is to place a bell within the structure, invisible from without, which will ring every time the receiver is lifted from the hook. Another object is the provision of a call number selecting disc, such as used on automatic telephones.

Structures embodying the invention are hereinafter fully described, and a drawing is hereto appended, in which the various features of the invention are clearly illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a telephone structure embodying the invention. and

Fig. 2 shows a similar device in which automatic number selecting means are pro- 'ided.

' The structure of my invention comprises a transmitter stand, A supporting a detachable receiver B. On the top of the strand is pivotally hung a transmitter C. To all outer appearances this structure bears so close a resemblance to the standard desk telephone set as to make it diificult .to tell that it is not a standard instrument. And in order to make the resemblance even more striking I have provided a cord D interconnecting the receiver and stand, as usual in practice. The only diifeicnce in appearance worthy of note is that I contemplate, making my toy telephone about one third smaller than the standard equipment, but of the same general proportions.

The stand A comprises a hollow base 1. a stem 2, and a head 3. The stem is tubular and provided with a pair of lugs 4, in which a receiver hook 5 is pivotally hung.- The latter is made with an extension 5 projecting into the chamber within the stem, and the end of this extension is perforated to receive a pivot 6, on which a pendent bar 7 is hung. This bar is muchwider than it is thick, it extends into the base 1, and the lower end of the bar is twisted to form a spiral 7, which is slidable and guidedin a bracket 8. A stud'9 extends downward from this bracket, substantially in concentricity with the stem 2, and this stud supports an inverted cup-shaped bell 10. Above the bracket ,8 is mounted a second bracket 11, which is made with a perforation 11 in line with the perforation 8 of the lower bracket 8. Between the two brackets is placed a flat disc 12, which in turn carries a hammer 13 loosely hung on a stud 14. The centerof the disc 12 is provided with a perforation of exactly the same shape as the cross sectional outline of the bar 7 which latter rides in said perforationthereby causing the disc 12 to rotate every time the bar is moved longitudinally. At a certain point, along the inner periphery of the bell 1O anoutward projection 10 is provided, as by putting a crimp in the metal of the bell. Every time the disc 12 is caused to rotate in response to a movement of the bar 7 it is found that the hammer 13 will strike. this projection a few times, the number of times depending upon the number of rotationsof the disc, which in turn is governed by the length of movement of the bar and also upon the pitch of the bar spiral 7 A coil spring 15 extends from the inner extension 5 of the hook to a suitable point in the stem or base, and this spring has suflicient strength to pull hook to lower the bar 7 downward. thereby ringing the bell.

The receiver comprises a wooden piece 16 shaped to resemble a standard telephone receiver, and it is made with a shouldered per foration 16, against the shoulder of which a knot 17 on the end of the cord B is caused to lodge for the purpose of maintaining the cord in position. Into the larger portion of said perforation is driven, or otherwise secured, a metal plug 18, provided for the purpose of overbalancing the spring 15. which. as stated. must be-powerful enough to turn the disc 12 radially. In order toreducethe friction of said disc against the surface of the bracket 8 it is desirable to place an antifriction washer 19 between the bracket and disc, or perhaps a slight extrusion of the metal of the bracket, when the perforation 8 is made and forming a low crown on which the disc can rotate, will be found suifithe most up-to-date telephone instruments,

and that is to place an automatic numbercall disc on the base of the stand. Such additional structure must, of course, be cheap,

' because no great cost can be added to the toy, if it is to sell readily, and at the same time it must be designed to be operated very much in the same manner a standard number disc is operated, or the child will not be satisfied. This may be accomplished substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2, where a stud 21 is rigidly secured on the base 22. A number disc is mounted to rotate on this stud, and the disc 23 is provided with a series of perforations 23*, 23*, etc. From the base 22, at a suitable place below said disc is extruded a lip 22 which serves to limit the rotating movement of the disc. A spring 24 is placed around the stud 21. The inner end of this spring may be made to project into said stud, as indicated in the drawing, and the outer end of the sprin may be hooked into a pendent lip 23 o the disc.

The lip 23 is by the tension of the spring urged against the base projection 22 thereby serving as a back-stop for the disc. Each perforation of the disc. should be marked by symbol or number, as in telephone practice, permitting the child to select the most common exchange symbols, such as main or central. The child places his forefinger in the perforation of his choice and turns the disc until the end of his finger strikes the projection 22 Upon withdrawing his finger the spring 24 returns the disc to its initial position.

I claim:

1. In a toy telephone, a columnar desk transmitter stand, a receiver hook pivoted upon said stand, a receiver -mountable on said hook, a bell within the stand, and means within the stand and actuated by the movement of said hook to ring the bell.

2. In a toy telephone, a hollow stand, a

hook extending into the stand, and a dummy receiver mountable on said hook, of a bell within said stand, and means springheld within the stand, and actuated by the movement of said hook for ringing the said bell.

3. In a toy telephone, a transmitter stand, a receiver hook pivoted on said stand, a'restand, and means operated by said hook and brought into action upon mounting and removing the receiver from the hook to ring said bell.

4. In a toy telephone, a tubular transmitter stand, a hook pivoted on said stand, and extending into the stand, a bell within the base of the stand, a receiver mountable on said hook, and means, extending from the inner end of said hook to said bell and op-- erable upon placing and removing the receiver from the hook for ringing the bell.

5. In a toy telephone, a transmitter stand comprising a hollow base, a tubular stem, a receiver hook-mounted to oscillate on said stem and provided with an arm extending into the stem, a bell mounted in said base, a clapper disc, and a bar extending from said arm and movable to rotate said disc to strike the said bell.

6. In a toy telephone, a hollow base, a tubular stem on said base, a bell and a clapper disc in the base, a receiver hook on the stem, a receiver mountable on said hook, a bar suspended from said hook and having a spiral portion seated in said clapper for the purpose of rotating the clapper to strike the bell, and a spring operating to oscillate the hook, when the receiver is removed from the hook, thereby moving said bar to rotate the said clapper.

7. In a toy telephone, a transmitter stand, a receiver hook on the stand, a receiver mountable on said hook, a bell mechanism within the base of the stand and connected to operate when the receiver is mounted upon and removed from said hook, and a spring-held number-call disc on said stand.

8. In a toy telephone, a transmitter stand, a receiver hook on the stand, a receiver mountable on said hook, a bell mechanism within the stand and connected to operate when the receiver is mounted upon and removed from said hook, a disc rotatable on the stand and having finger perforations movable in the path of a projection on the stand, and a spring for returning the disc to its initial position.

9. In a toy telephone, the combination with a telephone stand of the standard desk type but having no electrical connections, said telephone provided with a receiver and oscillatory receiver hook, of a call bell entirely concealed within the stand, and means within the stand operatively connecting said bell with the receiver hook and capable of sounding a short continuation of rings when the receiver is removed from the said hook.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

JOSEPH RENIISCHER. 

